The Prodigal Sons - Luke 15:11-32 - 99+1 - Pastor Jason Fritz

all right if you guys got your Bibles we're in Luke chapter 15 again if you're new we've been studying some parables of Jesus with the intent the hope is that we would begin to see more clearly the compassionate heart of God toward those who are far from him there's this crazy statistic the longer one becomes a Christian the more isolated he or she becomes they're more they withdraw from those who don't know God and so if as a church we're going to continue to grow and we're going to grow healthy then we need to understand the very heart of Jesus the heart of God for those who are far from him Jesus himself gave us his own personal purpose statement he said son of man came to seek and to save that which is lost so anybody who claims to have the heart of Jesus must be about this himself so here's where we're out I've been in Luke chapter 15 and it's here that Jesus gives three parables about three things that are lost lost sheep lost coin and a lost son now it's this third parable that stuns the audience Jesus is saying some things that have never been heard before there's never been a story told like this kind of simple very rich very deep profound in its meaning now it's important for us to understand what prompts these stories why does Jesus tell these stories what is it that motivates him it's not like Jesus just walked around said oh hey I have something to tell you I just thought of a story something just came to my mind no these parables come in response to circumstances that are happening around Jesus things that are being said and done and it's the exact same with the parable that we hear it will read from this morning now before we get into the text I want you to I want to point your attention to the title of the sermon because I just want to tip my hand in advance the title of the sermon is the prodigal sons plural not prodigal son this third parable is well known as the prodigal son but there's actually more than one lost child in this in this story in the crowd as Jesus is speaking are those who believe they are so far from God God could never reach them all the things that I've done all the things that I've said the hurt the pain God could never reach someone like me I'm just too far I've removed myself too far and then in the crowd you have those who believe that they're so good God has to accept them there's more than one prodigal in this story now I'm a fan of ancient Biblical art and one of a Rembrandt masterpieces perhaps the one he's he's known he's most famous for is actually titled the return of the prodigal son show it to you I mentioned this last week in brief Rembrandt just had this way he was the master at capturing light and with light he would draw your attention to the subject he wanted you to see to the things he wanted to you to focus on and so of course the three main characters in the story are there you see the father with his hands on the son the son is clearly there his head is shaved which by the way that's that would be sort of a common haircut for a prisoner back in the day he's missing a shoe his clothes are torn but you see the hands of the Father I'm told that an art the most difficult thing to draw are human hands and there's this tenderness of the human hands as they touch the prodigal son and then you see the face on the right of the older son now you don't rembrandt's interesting because he doesn't give you the details of the prodigal face at all that his face is just kind of hidden it's shadowed it's buried in the father's lap but you see well the face of the Father he lights that and you also see very well the face of the individual on the right who was the older son and he's just kind of standing there with this posture like and he's at a distance Rembrandt understood the depth of this parable there is more than one lost son there's actually two the younger and the older now for the context as we did last week context is king let's understand what it is that moves Jesus to tell these stories about what is lost and then found Luke chapter 15 verse 1 and 2 now the tax collectors and sinners were all drawing near to hear what Jesus has to say and the Pharisees and the scribes these are the religious leaders they started grumbling saying this man receives sinners and he eats with them as we mentioned again last week to eat with someone was a show of hospitality it was to say we're friends so to the religious leaders they're not having it these people were unclean they were impure you had to get your junk together before you come to God then Jesus like no God accepts people right where they're at and so yes these sinners and tax collectors are my friend but he hears them grumbling and he launches into these stories about what was lost in his now found and each story ends in a specific way it ends with a party it ends with a celebration sheep has lost its found there's rejoicing woman has ten coins loses one she goes up she's searching frantically she's turning the house upset she finds the one coin she celebrates she rejoices the prodigal son returns and there's a party here's the point Jesus is making you religious leaders your response to my work and what God is doing through me here is very different than Heaven's response heaven is rejoicing at what's happening and you're complaining and you're gambling I have a story for you verse 11 and Jesus said there was a man who had two sons and the other of them said to his father father give me the share of property that is coming to me and the father does it he divides his property between them not many days later the under Sun cutter doll he had it took a journey into a far country I want to get out of here I want to go away and there he squandered his property in reckless living and when he had spent everything a severe famine arose in the country he began to be in need so he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country who sent him into his fields to feed pigs Jewish boy feeding pigs that's pretty low and he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate there's no one gave him anything but when he came to himself he said how many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread but I perish here with hunger I will arise I'll go to my father and I will say to a father I have sinned against heaven and I have sinned against you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son so treat me is one of your hired servants and he arose and came to his father but while he was still a long way off his father saw him felt compassion and ran and embraced him and he kissed him and the son said to him father I have sinned against heaven him before you I'm no longer worthy to be called your son but the father said to his servants bring quickly the best robe put it on him put the ring on his hand shoes on his feet bring the fattened calf kill it we're gonna eat we're gonna celebrate for this my son was dead and he's alive again he was lost and is found and they began to celebrate now his older son was in the field and as he came in junior to the house he heard music and dancing and he called one of the servants and asked what does this mean what's going on and he said to him your brother has come your father's killed the fattened calf because his received him safe and sound but the older brother was angry and he refused to go in his father came out and he treated him but he answered his father look these many years I have served you I've never disobeyed your command did you never even gave me a young goat that I might celebrate with my friends but when this son of yours came who has devoured your property with prostitutes you killed the fattened calf for him and he said to him son you are always with me all that is mine is yours it was fitting for us to celebrate and be glad for this your brother your brother was dead and is alive he was lost and now he's found so the younger son comes to this dad and he says dad I want the life time for me to be the man I want what's coming to me and I want it now now several commentators rightly note just how offensive this is if you are listening to this parable you're going he did what he did what an inheritance wasn't received until dad died so this is the equivalent of the son saying to his father I want you dead I want you dead so that what you have can be mine and I want it now have you ever been used by somebody was that somebody of a family member no person on this planet will crush your heart like your kids so there's an expectation on the part of the listener of what's coming next oh oh how is dad gonna respond to this we know what did you say to me son you want what get out get out insult me like that get out according to Jewish law an offense like this was actually punishable by death I mean think about the broken heartedness of the father having your child say to you I'd essentially you're in my life so I can use you die and give me my stuff but something unexpected happens right because the text tells us that dad does it and by the way this is going to take some time thought and effort on the part of the father to give the son what he's asking for in verse 12 the son says father give me the share of property that is coming to you get word property that's actually the Greek word BIOS from which we get our English word biology what is biology biology is the study of living things he's saying hey dad give me my life give me my life so how does property become to be associated with life very simple back in the day your property your land was everything it was your social standing you have land you can feed your livestock you have land you can grow crops to feed your family to sell your land was everything land was life and so here's what dad has to do he has to sell one-third of all that he has it's not like he's gonna reach into the safing grab a stack of money and say all right this is what this is what's do you and your parents okay all right no he has to take the time and effort and by the way he has to suffer the personal insult and humiliation of making himself lower in everybody else's eyes and he does it this is an unheard-of story most tremendous emotional pain here if you've ever had a wayward child you know exactly what this is fueling it's the pain of rejection and when it is human nature when hurt hurt back and sometimes it can be very difficult to his hold hurt from a child who has hurt you but there there's this amazing thing that happens this father maintains closeness with his child and he does so at great personal offense and personal sacrifice everybody wants this sense that the light is always on and the door is always unlocked and there's always a seat at the table for me because if there's ever a heart change it takes courage to come back it takes courage to say I was wrong I am sorry but you know what makes it a lot easier when you know that you're gonna be welcome back if you know you're gonna be welcomed back it makes it much easier to step into that space and to return you don't think the father knows that so the son does what young man do he goes up the older subsonic said he he's going to go out and he's gonna have sex with the money I'm gonna spend it on prostitutes thing apparently that's what happens he has nothing nothing left he blows through it and then to make matters worse of famine heads so when a famine hits the price of food goes up and you don't have any money to begin with what are you gonna do what can you do hey Jewish boy I got III personally see this as somebody rubbing his face in it Jewish boy I had a job for the Jewish boy go feed those pigs right because to Jews pigs were unclean animals go go rub your face in it boy feed them and he does and is this low point this low point and he's in the text says he came to him himself he came to himself there's a moment of great self-awareness and honesty here it's as if he says what am i doing what have I become but I lost or if I gained well I have the pigs eat better than I do I can relate to this you know there is a plottable trajectory to life when you begin to pursue all those things that you think will bring you worldly pleasure you know where you end up what have I become what have I become is this is this who I really am and what I've learned is that brokenness is beautiful and what I've learned is that freedom is surrender because Jesus says you want to find your life lose it give it away I gave it to you now you give it back to me you surrender it back to me and then you're gonna find it so he's been trying to find it himself and he's lost it so the first step in turning back and repentance is dealing with reality so eventually he regains his mind develops a plan verse 18 I will arise I'll go to my dad now I'm gonna say to him dad I've sinned against heaven and before you and I have no longer worthy to be called your son so can we just can we do this treat me as one of your hired servants he's developing this real posture of humility here right yeah I mean he's caught he's come well he says I just look dad can I just be a hired servant to you forget about being a son I know the sonship thing is lost forget about that I know I've ruined that and you know I don't even treat me as a household servant see a household servant is different than a hired servant a hired servant doesn't live in the house a hired servant puts in a day's works like a day laborer puts in a day's work and then goes back home has to feed himself but a household servant has all the rights and privileges of one in the household they're not worrying about their next meal they're not worrying about where they're gonna sleep the owner of the house provides that for a household service so the son says hey let's just do this just treat me like a hired laborer I'll just come and go now in saying this there's a there's a really profound principle this is why this this parable is so stunningly beautiful and so relevant for our time the Sun has lost sight of his true identity remember that so ancient rabbis believed that if you had this kind of offense toward your family according to law the punishment was death it was such an offence the punishment was death and at the very least you could not come back into the household until you apologized and made full restitution and restored the family honor but he develops a plan he says I want to come back as a hired servant didn't it's made much easier when there's an expectation dad just might welcome me back so in humility he has his speech prepared okay here's what I'm going to say here's how I'm gonna say it I'm gonna look him in the eyes okay and he starts down the road to home and then the text takes another about abrupt turn text says that the dad sees his son far away and he runs to meet him now again if you're a listener in the first century just this little detail right here the fact that the father runs to meet his son is it shocking why you realize that for an old man to run it was considered undignified because at an old age you shouldn't be in a hurry to get anywhere you must not have your affairs in order so if an old man is seen running it's it's kind of disgraceful are you gonna have to hike up your robe right you have to expose your legs and your it's disgraceful but he doesn't he doesn't care what in the same way that he doesn't he didn't he doesn't care if other people see him as less than as he sells his property takes a lower standing in the community he doesn't care that people see him run toward his son and by the way there's every possibility that he's running toward his son in order to save him he sees him way off it says because as that boy gets closer to the village he's in trouble he's in trouble you could have people in that village that want to get revenge on behalf of that family that boys in trouble so he runs to meet him while he's far off to save them and then what happens dad okay listen here's the deal I'm sorry I sinned against zero and I sinned against heaven in bring the robe bring the robe bring the ring kill the fat in the calf my boy is back we're gonna party I thought he was dead he's alive I thought he was lost he's found we're gonna party we're gonna party no do you understand what's happening here when dad says bring the robe and bring the ring he's talking about the family robe and he's talking about the family ring son son not a hired servant not a household servant it's my boy and right now he doesn't have the appearance as if he is my boy because you see he's missing the family ring go get it put it on his finger those rags he's wearing that's not representative of this family go get the family rope put it on them this is my son identity he had lost his identity now I want you to listen carefully please so what I'm about to say next in our time in our world in our culture there is a tremendous amount of confusion confusion over gender confusion over sexuality what is my purpose trying to find myself of Who am I why am I here the further you remove yourself from the father the more you will be confused over your true identity I'm going to say that again the further you remove yourself from your father your heavenly father the more confused you will be over who you are and what you are this is why there is so much confusion in our world today because people are moving away from the one who created them designed them gave them purpose and meaning in life and so in many ways like the prodigal son they're out and and the trajectory is predictable and they're trying to figure it out on their own and there's confusion but when there's movement closer to the Father what happens that true identity is restored and dad says this is my boy don't forget who you are the light is always on doors always open there's always a place for you seen one seem to the Sun is out in the field he's working sweat on his brow starts to head back home hears music years dancing it was like that sounds like there's a party going on yeah smells like somebody's cooking some meat you vegans of vegetarians would love to know that eating meat back in the day was a luxury people didn't need a lot of me back but he's like I smell something I smell some meat cooking this is a party what's going on so he goes back to that house and he says to one of the service what's up so he yeah I haven't heard your brother back he's lost he's found and your dad's so happy he said kill the fattened calf fattened calf the fat one the good one man the one with all their like you know meat that's marbleized the fat got the good stuff yeah the best what a great opportunity for the older brother to celebrate and rejoice but as hard as an innit why the text tells you why in his response text hoes explicitly he's angry he's angry and you it's borne out by his response he goes up to his dad he says look now great way to start a conversation with somebody right that's a power play right there look notice what you've done look I have been with you this whole time I've been obedient to you and you haven't even given me a goat a goat was far less valuable than a fattened calf you haven't given me even a goat to celebrate and party with my friends but this son of yours who squandered all that money one third of all we own dad one third of all of it he squandered on prostitutes you're gonna kill the fatted calf for him okay do you see what's happening here the truth is both the older son and the youngest son we're just using dad the younger one did it through unrighteousness by being bad but the older one did it by being good I've been obedient to you you owe me you owe me in the deaths of six son everything I have is yours everything that's left it's all yours everything that's left is all yours two-thirds goes to the oldest son one-third to the art all of this goes to you it's your brother he was lost now he's found it's only right that we do this it's only right that we celebrate how is the older son going to respond let's read oh wait it's not there why because the lesson has already been given everything Jesus this is why this parable is so stunningly brilliant it's just a work of art it comes as a response to self-righteous religious people grumbling complaining about Jesus reaching those who are far from God and Jesus says it's actually you Pharisees you're actually the older brother you're just as far let me ask you who's farther from God the sinner the one who knows what he's doing is wrong or the self-righteous person who thinks that by virtue of their goodness God is Duty browned so welcome them home there's something here for everybody this is the fun part right now it's your turn now maybe you're here this morning and you're like to be honest with you I'm the last one well I hope you're refreshed and I and I hope you see that by the way who's the father who does the father represent the story God that God is there running and there is nothing you could do that would prevent God from turning to you when you begin to turn toward him the father in this story is God say well what do I do it's just simple it's just come to your senses right just deal with reality what where's this gotten me in life what am i doing that is the first step in repenting and being welcomed back into the family and then there may be some here who are like wow I really have to be careful that I don't have an older brother heart in me so let's just press in on this a little bit further because sometimes people with older brother hearts they to identify themselves in all the wrong ways they identify themselves with their good works or what they think are good works therefore they identify themselves with their race with their politics with their gender there are so many forms of false identity out there that lead us to that project predictable trajectory meanwhile we're moving further and further away from our true identity found in our Heavenly Father sons and daughters you find your identity there you find your true meaning and purpose in life so there's something in this one parable with just a few sentences for every single person on the planet what is it for you I told you at the beginning my heart's desire as we work our way through these parables is simply this if illuminate community church is going to grow we're going to grow healthy and we grow healthy by adopting the heart of God toward those who are far from God so last week I said it I'll say it again who is your one who was the one in your life that God has placed there and you are on God's search and rescue team what that's incredible amount of honor and dignity that he gives you and secondly let's continue to pray that God would give us his heart for those who are far from him so father that is our desire god I pray that as we leave this place you would continue to draw all people to yourself the good and the bad and for those who are in the room that don't know you god I pray that by the power of your spirit you would move them come to their senses drawing near to you and helps heaven celebrate celebrate all that you're doing as your heart is affirmed when just even one turns around and heads back home we ask it we pray for it in the name of your son Jesus Christ and God's people said amen

Channel: Illuminate Community

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Keywords: The Prodigal Son, Luke 15:11-32, God loves you, prodigal son, luke 15, gospel of luke, parable of the prodigal son, Jason Fritz, christianity, sermon, preaching, theology, parables, illuminate community church, jesus, gospel, evangelism, pastor, luke, church

Id: XBKoxs5lA7o

Length: 32min 35sec (1955 seconds)

Published: Mon Jan 20 2020